Online citizenship is the way that we navigate online environments in a way that is safe, responsible. A big part of being an online citizen is the ability to positively engage in these online spaces. Instead of imposing outright bans on technology, schools should take a proactive approach by educating students about the principles of good online citizenship. Students will most likely be on social media especially in the middle school years. It is important to give students the tools to be successful online, as it can be a great tool for communication. 

Today in tech we had a guest speaker Jesse Miller who specializes in online safety, and is a part of Safer Schools Together. Jesse talked to us about online citizenship. He highlighted three important components of being a good online citizen that were digital identity, digital rights, and digital literacy. Throughout his talk he touched on privacy, safety, bullying, consent, and the professional role as an educator. Jesse also highlighted that as an educator there must be a separation between your personal and professional aspects of your life. Jesse further brought up the professional standards surrounding social media use and emphasized that teachers are consistently representing their role even in online interactions.

This is important to recognize, as there may be times in a teacher’s career that they will have to report incidents involving students who are underage according to platform guidelines. Jesse highlighted that when you use free social media platforms you are the product, and they can sell any of the information that you put onto the sites. As teachers we need to be extremely cautious about what we post online to make sure that you don’t cross any professional boundaries, for example posting pictures consuming alcohol. It is also important as teachers that you do not post any media including students. 

Below I added a video that Jesse Miller gives his opinion on the banning of cell phones in B.C. classrooms.